IBFAN
interventions on infant feeding and on WHO relations with other
organisations at the WHO Executive Board meeting, Geneva.
The International
Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN)
launched its new report documenting, from Case Studies commissioned
in seven countries, how the baby food industry has operated
over decades to undermine breastfeeding and to oppose regulation
of its marketing activities and how this influence has been
countered by campaigners (click
here for details). IBFAN members are attending the WHO Executive
Board meeting to ensure that industry lobbying does not go unchallenged
and that the concerns of health campaigners and parents are
considered.
Interventions
Alison Linnecar
Mr Chair, honourable
members of the Executive Board, Director General. On behalf
of Consumers International, the International Baby Food Action
Network, I welcome this opportunity to take the floor on this
very important issue.
The year 2004 is
an important landmark because it is the twenty-fifth anniversary
of the Joint WHO/UNICEF Meeting on Infant and Young Child Feeding
which gave rise to the International Code - a tool which,
with its subsequent Resolutions, has done so much to protect
infant health.
2004 is also a reporting
year on implementation of the International Code and
of the Global Strategy
on infant and young child feeding. As an international NGO,
IBFAN has taken its responsibilities to heart: IBFAN's regional
offices have organised regional meetings to address implementation
of the Global Strategy in Poland and India and Vietnam and Burkina
Faso. The network participated in the WHO/UNICEF Technical Consultation
in February 2003. We note in particular that the alliances formed
to work together to achieve the Global Strategy's aims and objectives
should be "fully transparent and consistent with accepted
principles for avoiding conflicts of interest". We
are convinced that this principle should be taken forward into
all WHO's Global Strategies.
One of IBFAN's roles
is to identify threats to infant health and obstacles to breastfeeding.
We therefore wish to present to the Executive Board three key
issues which require your urgent attention.
First. The problem
of the safety of powdered infant formula.
Contamination by
Enterobacter sakazakii, Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus
aureus and Salmonella species has led the Codex Committee on
Food Hygiene to identify this as a Known Public Health Risk
(CX/FH 04/5-add. 2) and a Joint FAO/WHO Workshop will take place
in February 2004. This problem was raised as an urgent matter
by the United States at Codex in 2002. Indeed, the Risk Profile
on E. sakazakii prepared by the United States and Canada (CX/FH
03/13) states that:
"E. sakazakii
is known to be present in a proportion of powdered infant
formula, such formula has been epidemiologically linked with
illness in neonates, and such illness may be life threatening.
That alone is enough to seriously consider appropriate strategies
to reduce this documented risk".
Clearly there is
need for more research into this matter, and we welcome the
joint FAO WHO workshop. However, what is in no doubt is the
fact that powdered infant formula is NOT A COMMERCIALLY STERILE
PRODUCT. Unfortunately the public and health workers think that
it is sterile.
For this reason WHO
and FAO should - without any further delay - call for measures
which will alert parents and care providers to the very simple
fact that powdered infant formula is not sterile and ensure
that extra precautions are taken. This means that labels and
education materials must carry more explicit warnings than those
required by Article
9.2 of the Code.
IBFAN would welcome
a WHO web site with accurate information for parents, who are
rightly concerned.
Second: Commercial
Sponsorship has increased significantly in recent years.
As a result, several
countries have strengthened their laws to implement the Code,
in order to address this problem. In India, Brazil and the Republic
of Azerbaijan, new legislation requires that breastmilk substitute
manufacturers do not fund health workers or any association
of health workers, nor provide sponsorship for educational courses
or research. It is essential that the research on which health
policies are based is funded from independent sources. This
is particular requirement is critically important when evaluating
public health risks such as pathogens in tins of infant formula.
We urge the World
Health Assembly to adopt a Resolution which incorporates such
safeguards.
Third: Health
and Nutrition Claims.
We call your attention
to the way that manufacturers are using health and nutrition
claims to promote their products for infants and young children.
Nutrition and Health claims are a contravention of Article
9 of the International Code because they idealise
the product and inevitably undermine breastfeeding. You will
all have seen pictures of babies at computers - with the claim
that a certain formula will improve intelligence. This matter
is being discussed now at Codex and commercial interests are
lobbying for standards that would allow such health claims.
It is thus essential that the Assembly adopts a resolution which
confirms that health and nutrition claims for infants and young
children are not permissible.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
for giving us the opportunity to speak on this agenda item.
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